Foam generating apparatus



Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcs;

' FOAM' GENERATING APPARATUS 7 Dominic Conto, Sheboygan, Wis. Application October 18, 1949, S erial No. 121,911

. 1 This invention relates to foam-generating apparatus, and more particularly to portable ap- 2 Claims. (Cl. 261-76) paratus for attachment to existing air-compress ing means, such as a vacuum cleaner.

"=Itisamong the objects of the invention to provideimproved foam-generating apparatus which is-fully portable for hand use, in cleaning walls,

floors, rugs, upholstery and drapes and can be.

attached to a conventional vacuum cleanenfor operation, which produces an extremely dry foam containing up to 90-percent of air to prevent unduly wetting the fabric material being cleaned, which willcontain an adequate supply of foamproducing material for the usual cleaning operations of the character indicated, and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

"Figure 1 is a front elevation of a foam-generat ing device illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Figure-1; and

*Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawing, the improved foam-generating device or apparatus comprises an elongated, tubular nozzle IO of-substantially uniform diameter throughout its length, and of a size to receive at one end the outer or free end of avacuum cleaner hose I! through which compressed air is supplied to the nozzle, a filter 12 secured in the nozzle adjacent its opposite end, a second filter 13 secured in the nozzle in spaced relationship to the filter l2, a screw cap 14 secured to the nozzle intermediate the length thereof, and a container I having a screwthreaded neck I6 threaded into the screw cap-l4 and bymeans of which the container isrem'ovably secured to the screw cap and the nozzle.

The first tube l1 extends through registering apertures in the side wall of the nozzle Ill and in the end wall of the screw cap I4, substantially perpendicular to the nozzle and the screw cap and communicates, at one end, with the interior of the nozzle and at its opposite end with the interior of the container l5. This tube has its end within the nozzle cut away at an angle of approximately 45-degrees, as indicated at I8, which cut-away portion faces the end of the nozzle to which the air conduit H is attached to constitute the tube-l1 an air-deflecting tube for deflecting air from the nozzle into the container. The end of the tube ll within the container terminates adjacent the screw cap l4, so that air-deflected by this tube into the container will be above any liquid foam-producing material in the container when the device is held in operative-position with the nozzle at the top and the container 'l5sus pended therefrom. s H 1 I A second tube 19, extends through registering apertures in the sidewall of the tubular nozzle and in the end wall of the cap I4 substantially perpendicular to the nozzle and the cap endwall; and is disposed to the rear of thetu'be ll in the direction'of air-flow through the nozzle. This second tube [9 communicates at one end with the interior of the'nozzle I0, and at its other end withthe interior of the container [5 at a location ad.-. jacent the bottom end wall 20 of the container remote from the cap 14. The end of the tube I9 within the nozzle is cut away at an angle'less than 45-degrees, as indicated at 2|, and this cutaway end of the tube [9 faces away from the end of the nozzzle attached to the air conduit H, so that air flowing through the nozzle will tend to produce a suction at this end of the tube [9 to assist in drawing foam-producing material from the container l5into the nozzle-l0.

"An elongated valve stem 22 extends co-axially through the tube l1 and diametrically through the nozzle [0 and. is provided, at its end within the container 15, with a curved portion 23 whichbrings this end of the stem opposite the end of the tube [9 within the container I5. I

' A hand knob 24 is secured on the end of the valve stem 22 at the side of the nozzle opposite the tube I1 and the container l5, and a valve piston 25 is mounted on the valve-stem atthe end of the tube ll disposed within the container. The piston 25 is slidable 01117119 valve stem and is held'in operative position against an abutment collar 26, secured against movement longitudinally of the stem by the transversely-extending pin 21, by a compression spring 28 which surrounds the stem between the side of the piston 25 remote from'the tube ll and'a spring abutment collar 29 secured in position on the-stem by a transverse pin 30. A conical-shaped valve head 3| is provided at the end of the valve stem opposite the adjacent end of the tube l9.

A compression spring 32 surrounds the valve The spring 28 permits a slight amount of resiliently-resisted movement of the valve piston 25 relative to the stem 22, so that the valve head 3| can be brought into closing engagement with the adjacent end of the tube l9 while the piston 25 is in closing engagement with the adjacent end of the tube H, the spring 32 being stronger than the spring 28, so that it is able to slightly oompress the spring 22.

The nozzle- 10 may be a piece of stock metal tubing of the proper diameter, preferably of a corrosion-resisting metal, and the cap I4 and the container l may be a conventional canning or preserving jar and a screw top therefor. The filters l2 and 13 are circular discs of suitable foraminous material, such as wire mesh, secured in encircling metal rings which rings are soldered or otherwise suitably secured in proper position in the tubular nozzle. The device is thus extremely economical to manufacture from readilyavailable materials.

In operation, with the vacuum cleaner in operation to supply aid under pressure through the hose I I to the nozzle ID, the hand knob 24 is depressed against the force of spring 32 moving the piston 25 ,away from the tube H, and the valve head 3| away from the tube l9. Air will then be defiected through the tube l1 into the upper end of the container and will force some of the foam-producing liquid in the container upwardly through the tube [9 into the nozzle M where this material will be impacted by air flowing through the nozzle and driven against the filter 13,. As the foam producing material is blown through the filter I3, it is mixed with air and produces foam at the downstream side of this filter. This foam is, then blown through the filter l2 and mixed with additional air so that an extremely dry foam is produced at the downstream side of the filter l2, and directed onto the material to be cleaned or into some other container from which the foam can be applied to the material to be cleaned by some suitable means, such as a brush.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for generating foam comprise ing a tubular nozzle adapted to be connected at one end to a compressed air conduit, a closure member carried by the nozzle, a container removably secured to said closure member, a first;

tube extending perpendicularly through the side wallof said nozzle and through the closure member, said tube communicating with the interior of the container and having its end within the nozzle obliquely terminated and forming a baflle facing the end of the nozzle connectable with the compressed air conduit, whereby the air entering the nozzle is directed through the tube into the container, a second tube perpendicularly arranged in the nozzle and the container and extending into the container below the first tube, said second tube having its end within the nozzle angularly cut away and facing the discharge end of the nozzle, a stem, slidably disposed transversely through the nozzle and disposed through the first tube, an angular bend on the lower end of the stem, said bend terminating in a valve head positionable in the lower end of the second tube, a piston slidably mounted for limited movement on the stem and means for urging said piston into seated engagement of the lower end of the first tube, an enlarged head on the outer end of the stem, spring means on said stem between the nozzle and head for urging the valve head into seated engagement of the second tube and means on said stem for disengaging the piston from the first tube upon. inward movement of the stem.

2'. An apparatus for generating foam. comprising a tubular nozzle adapted to be connected at one end to a compressed air conduit a closure member carried by the nozzle. a container I6". movably secured to said closure member, a first tube extending perpendicularly through the side, wall of said nozzle and through the closure mem. her, said tube communicating with the interior of the container, a second tube perpendicularlyarranged in the nozzle and the container and extending into the container below the first tube. a stem slidably disposed, transversely through the nozzle and disposed coaxially through the first tube, an angular bend on the lower end of the stem, said bend terminating in a valve head positionable in the lower end of the second tube, a piston slidably mounted for limited movement on the stem, resilient means on said stem or urging said piston, into seated engagement. ofthe lower end of the first tube, an enlarged head on the outer end of the stem, spring means said stem between the nozzle and head for urging the valve head into seated engagement ofthe second tube and means on said stem for disengaging the piston from the first tube upon inward movement of the stem.

DQ I C C N O- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'I S 

